1 00:00:08,71 --> 00:00:08,86 The 2 00:00:08,87 --> 00:00:20,55 B.S. 3 00:00:20,55 --> 00:00:26,87 . We're going to use what's wrong and bad neck I'm wrong on that Nic 4 00:00:27,57 --> 00:00:34,05 this show is going to be on the Pledge of Allegiance recently is 5 00:00:34,06 --> 00:00:40,78 Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts the highest court in Massachusetts heard 6 00:00:40,79 --> 00:00:42,41 a case involving 7 00:00:42,45 --> 00:00:48,41 a pledge of allegiance this was in state court the ruling will only affect the 8 00:00:48,42 --> 00:00:55,04 state of Massachusetts the case had to do with taking out the words under 9 00:00:55,05 --> 00:01:01,37 God in the Pledge of Allegiance I want to first get into some of the 10 00:01:01,38 --> 00:01:07,99 history of the Pledge of Allegiance How did it come about when was the pledge 11 00:01:08,12 --> 00:01:14,51 first written who wrote it what words were in it 12 00:01:15,31 --> 00:01:22,15 you may be surprised to learn that when it was originally written the words were 13 00:01:22,16 --> 00:01:28,89 not the same as they are today the official version of the prayer 14 00:01:29,51 --> 00:01:35,93 in eighteen ninety two was this I pledge allegiance 15 00:01:36,05 --> 00:01:42,83 to my flag and the republic for which it stains one nation 16 00:01:42,87 --> 00:01:49,67 indivisible with liberty and justice for all. It was written 17 00:01:50,07 --> 00:01:56,01 in eighteen ninety two in honor of the four hundredth 18 00:01:56,08 --> 00:02:02,74 anniversary of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus 19 00:02:03,22 --> 00:02:05,46 it was written by a minister 20 00:02:05,91 --> 00:02:12,58 a Baptist minister his name was Francis Bellamy he did not 21 00:02:12,62 --> 00:02:18,66 have in the original prayer the words under God even though he was 22 00:02:18,96 --> 00:02:23,36 a minister he wrote the Pledge for the youth companion 23 00:02:23,40 --> 00:02:29,83 a magazine that was published in Boston at that time the 24 00:02:30,85 --> 00:02:35,67 prayer or the pledge it wasn't a prayer was 25 00:02:35,68 --> 00:02:42,41 a pledge was printed on leaflets and sent to schools throughout the United States 26 00:02:44,91 --> 00:02:51,59 later it was changed now at first when it was for us issued it was 27 00:02:51,60 --> 00:02:58,17 issued to some twelve million American school children they re cited the pledge in 28 00:02:58,21 --> 00:03:04,65 eighty ninety two and commemorate the four hundredth year anniversary or 29 00:03:04,66 --> 00:03:11,51 Columbus's voyage in nineteen twenty three the 30 00:03:11,52 --> 00:03:18,05 pledge was changed in one thousand nine hundred twenty three it was changed to I 31 00:03:18,06 --> 00:03:24,81 pledge allegiance to my flag and to the republic for which it stands one 32 00:03:24,82 --> 00:03:31,60 nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all what was the change the 33 00:03:31,61 --> 00:03:38,47 only change was one word to to the republic again under God was 34 00:03:38,48 --> 00:03:45,01 not in the pledge and this was the official pledge from eight hundred ninety two to 35 00:03:45,02 --> 00:03:51,37 nineteen twenty two. In one nine hundred twenty three the pledge was 36 00:03:51,38 --> 00:03:58,36 changed again this time it read I pledge allegiance to the flag 37 00:03:58,42 --> 00:04:00,44 of the United States and to 38 00:04:00,45 --> 00:04:07,21 a great public for which it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice 39 00:04:07,31 --> 00:04:14,27 for all notice again not the words under God what words were added in one nine 40 00:04:14,28 --> 00:04:20,58 hundred twenty three just these words the word the law. Flag stayed the same and 41 00:04:20,59 --> 00:04:23,44 then they added Ah the United States so they added 42 00:04:23,53 --> 00:04:30,43 a flag of the United States that may read the pledge in one nine hundred twenty 43 00:04:30,44 --> 00:04:34,91 two and then in one nine hundred twenty three thousand nine hundred twenty two I 44 00:04:34,92 --> 00:04:41,09 pledge allegiance to my flag and to agree public for which it stands one nation 45 00:04:41,13 --> 00:04:47,80 indivisible with liberty and justice for all one nine hundred twenty three I pledge 46 00:04:47,84 --> 00:04:54,07 allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the republic which it stands one 47 00:04:54,08 --> 00:05:00,63 nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all and it stayed that way from one 48 00:05:00,64 --> 00:05:07,24 thousand nine hundred twenty four to nineteen fifty four now why did the change 49 00:05:07,34 --> 00:05:12,59 take place in one nine hundred twenty three in one nine hundred twenty three the 50 00:05:12,60 --> 00:05:19,27 flag of the United States replace the word my flag because some foreign 51 00:05:19,31 --> 00:05:25,68 born people might have in mind the flag of the country of their birth instead of 52 00:05:25,69 --> 00:05:31,24 the United States flag so one thousand nine hundred twenty four it was changed they 53 00:05:31,25 --> 00:05:37,63 added of America after the words United States nineteen 54 00:05:37,96 --> 00:05:44,68 forty two in one nine hundred forty two the pledge received official recognition by 55 00:05:44,69 --> 00:05:50,33 the Congress only in one nine hundred forty two during World War two when the 56 00:05:50,34 --> 00:05:54,23 pledge was formally included in the U.S. 57 00:05:54,28 --> 00:06:01,28 Flag code. The flag code specifies that any future changes to 58 00:06:01,29 --> 00:06:06,81 the pledge would have to be with the consent of the president of the United States 59 00:06:07,05 --> 00:06:11,58 that was in one thousand nine hundred forty two that was the first time that the 60 00:06:11,59 --> 00:06:14,62 pledge was formally included in the U.S. 61 00:06:14,66 --> 00:06:20,66 Flag code and again it said any future change the pledge would have to be with the 62 00:06:20,67 --> 00:06:26,48 consent of the president of United States one thousand nine hundred forty three 63 00:06:27,02 --> 00:06:29,94 another change took place where 64 00:06:30,49 --> 00:06:34,90 a episode in the history of the pledge took place in one nine hundred forty three 65 00:06:35,67 --> 00:06:41,41 the US Supreme Court ruled that public school students could not be forced to 66 00:06:41,42 --> 00:06:48,33 resign in the case West Virginia versus by net I want to repeat that in one 67 00:06:48,34 --> 00:06:51,34 thousand nine hundred forty three day U.S. 68 00:06:51,35 --> 00:06:57,67 Supreme Court of the United States ruled that public public school students could 69 00:06:57,68 --> 00:07:04,59 not be forced to reciting the pledge the case was West Virginia versus by 70 00:07:04,63 --> 00:07:10,17 net I'm going to talk about that case more later in one thousand nine hundred forty 71 00:07:10,18 --> 00:07:16,35 five the official name of the Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in other words it 72 00:07:16,36 --> 00:07:20,46 was not called the official name was not the Pledge of Allegiance until one 73 00:07:20,47 --> 00:07:27,37 thousand nine hundred and forty five and now let's go to nineteen fifty four the 74 00:07:27,38 --> 00:07:32,72 change in one nine hundred fifty four I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United 75 00:07:32,73 --> 00:07:39,56 States of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under God in 76 00:07:39,61 --> 00:07:46,45 the indivisible with liberty and justice for all what was the only change the only 77 00:07:46,46 --> 00:07:52,70 change was under God. Until one thousand nine hundred fifty four for thirty years 78 00:07:52,74 --> 00:07:58,04 it was I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the 79 00:07:58,05 --> 00:08:03,75 republic for which it stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for 80 00:08:03,76 --> 00:08:09,01 all and now it reads I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of 81 00:08:09,02 --> 00:08:15,15 America and the republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with 82 00:08:15,16 --> 00:08:21,79 liberty and justice for all I am going to recommend on this show another change to 83 00:08:21,80 --> 00:08:27,44 the Pledge of Allegiance I would like to pledge to read the following and then I'll 84 00:08:27,45 --> 00:08:32,78 explain what the difference is I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States 85 00:08:32,79 --> 00:08:38,80 of America and to the republic for which it stands one nation under the US 86 00:08:38,81 --> 00:08:45,37 Constitution in divisible with liberty and justice for all what's the only 87 00:08:45,38 --> 00:08:51,84 change my own opinion I would take out under God and I would replace it under the 88 00:08:51,85 --> 00:08:56,69 U.S. Constitution why the people who wrote the U.S. 89 00:08:56,73 --> 00:09:03,27 Constitution would never have included under God God is not 90 00:09:03,28 --> 00:09:05,63 mentioned at all in the U.S. 91 00:09:05,64 --> 00:09:11,29 Constitution the people who wrote it would Davis many of them there were people ob 92 00:09:11,31 --> 00:09:16,32 the in Lightman they were people who believed in separation of church and state in 93 00:09:16,33 --> 00:09:22,32 fact the only mention of religion in the Constitution itself is no oath of office 94 00:09:22,32 --> 00:09:27,50 has to be taken no religious oath of office so they never would have put in under 95 00:09:27,52 --> 00:09:28,56 God into 96 00:09:28,57 --> 00:09:33,89 a pledge of allegiance of course one did not exist at that time I would take out 97 00:09:33,93 --> 00:09:37,09 under God and I would put out under the U.S. 98 00:09:37,10 --> 00:09:43,99 Constitution of the United States indivisible with liberty and justice for all now 99 00:09:43,100 --> 00:09:47,21 one thousand nine hundred fifty four what happened. After 100 00:09:47,22 --> 00:09:54,09 a campaign by the Knights of Columbus the words under God were added by Congress 101 00:09:54,39 --> 00:10:00,68 and signed into law by President Eisenhower in two 102 00:10:00,69 --> 00:10:07,46 thousand and four another important date in the history of the 103 00:10:07,47 --> 00:10:12,19 Pledge of Allegiance in two thousand and four the U.S. 104 00:10:12,20 --> 00:10:13,64 Supreme Court accepted 105 00:10:13,65 --> 00:10:20,35 a case easy am Grove United School District versus new 106 00:10:20,36 --> 00:10:27,21 down new doubt that challenge the use of under God in the pledge but the 107 00:10:27,22 --> 00:10:33,67 high court did not rule on the question they ducked the issue they did not want to 108 00:10:33,68 --> 00:10:35,68 address it they wanted to find 109 00:10:35,72 --> 00:10:41,48 a way out and they found it they did not address the issue of the words under God 110 00:10:42,31 --> 00:10:47,44 they didn't decide whether the pledge is constitutional under the First Amendment 111 00:10:47,63 --> 00:10:48,87 instead by 112 00:10:48,88 --> 00:10:55,69 a five to four vote majority and how often have you heard the five to four vote 113 00:10:55,90 --> 00:11:02,64 majority I always find it fascinating that nine people on the Supreme Court get the 114 00:11:02,65 --> 00:11:09,01 same question hear the same arguments and base their decision on the lore and their 115 00:11:09,02 --> 00:11:15,19 beliefs and they come out five to four so often there is room for disagreement and 116 00:11:15,20 --> 00:11:21,60 a right by five to four they issued they did not have to decide the case because 117 00:11:21,61 --> 00:11:28,04 Michael Newdow did not have legal standing to bring the case on behalf of his 118 00:11:28,05 --> 00:11:34,76 daughter because he did not have legal custody of her it was his 119 00:11:34,77 --> 00:11:41,72 daughter but he did not have legal custody the wife had legal custody. Yeah 120 00:11:41,80 --> 00:11:47,96 four by five to four the Supreme Court said he didn't have standing orders standing 121 00:11:47,97 --> 00:11:51,47 mean you know you or I cannot simply bring 122 00:11:51,48 --> 00:11:57,64 a case to court we have to have standing the case has to affect us directly we have 123 00:11:57,65 --> 00:12:00,15 to have some control he was bringing in 124 00:12:00,16 --> 00:12:06,08 a case to court on behalf of his daughter but he didn't have custody of his 125 00:12:06,09 --> 00:12:12,21 daughter therefore the court said he didn't have standing now if the mother had 126 00:12:12,22 --> 00:12:16,90 brought the case to the Supreme Court then the Supreme Court might have said there 127 00:12:16,91 --> 00:12:21,58 was standing for the mother and then the Supreme Court might have ruled but let's 128 00:12:21,59 --> 00:12:26,51 face it they did not want to touch this issue five of them so they found 129 00:12:26,56 --> 00:12:33,40 a way out he did not have custody therefore they did not have to address the 130 00:12:33,41 --> 00:12:40,38 issue now two thousand and thirteen we now come up to today and 131 00:12:40,39 --> 00:12:45,91 what is going on today well before we get to that I want to get into what one more 132 00:12:45,92 --> 00:12:51,60 thing that I sort of passed over very quickly one nine hundred fifty four Why was 133 00:12:51,61 --> 00:12:58,18 the pledge added in nineteen fifty four one reason for adding under 134 00:12:58,19 --> 00:13:04,35 God was that some people wanted to distinguish the United States from communism. 135 00:13:05,76 --> 00:13:12,74 Communism does not believe in God So we wanted to show that we were different from 136 00:13:12,75 --> 00:13:17,73 them we believed and God Therefore we added the words under God to show the 137 00:13:17,74 --> 00:13:23,80 difference between us and the and the Communists and that's why the words under God 138 00:13:23,84 --> 00:13:28,13 were added in one thousand nine hundred fifty four but keep in mind from eight 139 00:13:28,14 --> 00:13:33,58 hundred ninety two when the pledge was first written to nineteen fifty four the 140 00:13:33,59 --> 00:13:39,57 words under God were not there and before nineteen eight hundred ninety two we 141 00:13:39,58 --> 00:13:44,61 didn't have the Pledge of Allegiance so from the founding of this country in the 142 00:13:44,62 --> 00:13:51,32 Constitution seventeen eighty nine to nine hundred fifty four there was no Pledge 143 00:13:51,33 --> 00:13:57,96 of Allegiance which had under God we've only had that in relatively recent times 144 00:13:59,03 --> 00:14:05,30 now before I get to the present case before the Supreme Judicial Court here in 145 00:14:05,31 --> 00:14:09,77 Massachusetts it was just heard our the court can be expected to give 146 00:14:09,78 --> 00:14:16,36 a ruling probably within the next three or four months the court had decided the 147 00:14:16,37 --> 00:14:21,45 case had standing otherwise the case would not have been heard by the court but 148 00:14:21,46 --> 00:14:26,76 let's go back to some earlier Supreme Court rulings before we take up what's 149 00:14:26,77 --> 00:14:33,72 happening now in the year two hundred thirteen the Supreme Court has ruled 150 00:14:33,76 --> 00:14:40,26 on several occasions that students cannot be compelled to reciting the pledge 151 00:14:40,48 --> 00:14:47,36 or punished for not doing it cannot be punished for not reciting the pledge and 152 00:14:47,37 --> 00:14:51,76 can not be compelled to say the pledge that is the U.S. 153 00:14:51,83 --> 00:14:57,81 Supreme Court. Now again the Pledge of Allegiance was written in one thousand nine 154 00:14:57,82 --> 00:15:03,42 hundred two by Francis Bellamy who by the way sort of interesting he was born in 155 00:15:03,43 --> 00:15:07,71 eight hundred fifty five he died in one nine hundred thirty one so the pledge came 156 00:15:07,72 --> 00:15:13,37 in that he wrote in one thousand nine hundred two and he remained here on this 157 00:15:13,38 --> 00:15:16,32 planet until one thousand nine hundred thirty one he was 158 00:15:16,33 --> 00:15:19,38 a Baptist minister as I said before he was 159 00:15:19,39 --> 00:15:26,18 a Christian Socialists and the pledge was published April eighth eight hundred 160 00:15:26,19 --> 00:15:27,81 ninety two in 161 00:15:27,82 --> 00:15:34,64 a popular children's magazine called The Youth's Companion and again it was 162 00:15:34,65 --> 00:15:39,33 part of the national public school celebration of Columbus Day 163 00:15:40,18 --> 00:15:46,59 a celebration of the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbuses arrival 164 00:15:46,63 --> 00:15:52,84 in the Americas the event was conceived and it was promoted as 165 00:15:52,85 --> 00:15:59,67 a campaign to instill the ideas of American nationalism by selling flags to 166 00:15:59,68 --> 00:16:05,98 public schools and magazines to students and the prayer I again I'm going to read 167 00:16:05,99 --> 00:16:09,68 it again to you because it's somewhat different from what it is today but you heard 168 00:16:09,69 --> 00:16:15,21 it here it is again I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it 169 00:16:15,22 --> 00:16:21,24 stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all 170 00:16:21,78 --> 00:16:28,64 notice there is no mention of some of the things we think of today like under God 171 00:16:28,65 --> 00:16:35,23 for example the pledge was supposed to be quick and to the point Bellamy 172 00:16:35,30 --> 00:16:41,59 wanted it to be reciting it in only fifty teen seconds that was intentional 173 00:16:42,27 --> 00:16:48,46 he had initially also considered using the words equality. And for turn a T. 174 00:16:49,15 --> 00:16:55,37 But decided against it knowing that the state superintendents of as you cation 175 00:16:56,20 --> 00:16:57,65 on his committee as part of 176 00:16:57,66 --> 00:17:02,76 a committee were against equality for women and African Americans this is 177 00:17:02,77 --> 00:17:09,22 fascinating eighteen ninety two when the pledge was first written by 178 00:17:09,23 --> 00:17:16,22 a minister without the words under God he considered putting in the words equality 179 00:17:16,52 --> 00:17:22,49 and fraternity but he decided not to why because he knew that the state 180 00:17:22,57 --> 00:17:27,72 superintendents of education that he was working with an eight hundred ninety two 181 00:17:27,87 --> 00:17:33,07 they were not for equality for women women did not have the right to vote in the 182 00:17:33,19 --> 00:17:37,15 all the United States the whole country until one thousand nine hundred twenty and 183 00:17:37,16 --> 00:17:43,74 many of these superintendents were not in favor of equality for African-Americans 184 00:17:43,88 --> 00:17:50,43 the Supreme Court case Brown versus Topeka the Board of Education was not two fifty 185 00:17:50,44 --> 00:17:54,59 one nine hundred fifty four so the country was quite different in one thousand nine 186 00:17:54,60 --> 00:18:00,55 hundred two from what it is today let's get back in one thousand nine hundred two 187 00:18:01,53 --> 00:18:08,44 Bellamy had arranged for Congress at that time President Benjamin Harrison to 188 00:18:08,45 --> 00:18:08,90 announce 189 00:18:08,94 --> 00:18:15,79 a proclamation making the public school flag ceremony the center 190 00:18:16,38 --> 00:18:23,17 of the Columbus Day ceremonies the pledge was first use in public schools on 191 00:18:23,18 --> 00:18:30,04 October twelfth eighteen ninety two during the Columbus Day observances 192 00:18:30,11 --> 00:18:36,64 organized to coincide with the opening of the world's Columbia exposition in 193 00:18:36,65 --> 00:18:43,35 Chicago Illinois the Lady years to my flag were changed 194 00:18:43,54 --> 00:18:49,45 to the flag of the United States of America. Because of the large number of foreign 195 00:18:49,46 --> 00:18:55,29 children in our schools in one nine hundred twenty three the National Flag 196 00:18:55,30 --> 00:19:02,29 conference call for the words my flag to be changed to the flag of 197 00:19:02,30 --> 00:19:09,16 the United States so that new immigrants would not confess confuse loyalty 198 00:19:09,49 --> 00:19:16,36 between their birth countries and the United States the words quote 199 00:19:16,48 --> 00:19:19,45 of America and a quote were added 200 00:19:19,48 --> 00:19:25,25 a year later in one thousand nine hundred twenty four United States Congress 201 00:19:25,48 --> 00:19:32,46 officially recognized the pledge for the first time in the following form 202 00:19:32,67 --> 00:19:39,65 on June twenty second one thousand nine hundred forty two I pledge allegiance to 203 00:19:39,66 --> 00:19:44,64 the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands 204 00:19:44,84 --> 00:19:51,67 one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all that's the pledge I said 205 00:19:52,18 --> 00:19:59,17 when I went to elementary school I graduated from Oxford 206 00:19:59,18 --> 00:20:05,11 Street Elementary School in one nine hundred fifty five only in the last year I was 207 00:20:05,12 --> 00:20:11,76 there did I say the pledge with the words under God people my age in elementary 208 00:20:11,77 --> 00:20:18,44 school during that time and the first seven years I was in the public schools and 209 00:20:18,45 --> 00:20:24,11 said the Pledge of Allegiance it did not include the words under God until one 210 00:20:24,12 --> 00:20:29,52 thousand nine hundred fifty four prior to that no one ever to get the pledge 211 00:20:29,56 --> 00:20:35,05 officially amended succeeded there were other attempts to amend the flag between 212 00:20:35,06 --> 00:20:40,01 one nine hundred twenty three and one nine hundred fifty four all those attempts 213 00:20:40,02 --> 00:20:46,88 failed until nineteen fifty four. The phrase under God was 214 00:20:46,89 --> 00:20:52,27 incorporated into the Pledge of Allegiance in one thousand nine hundred fifty four 215 00:20:53,13 --> 00:20:53,63 and there was 216 00:20:53,64 --> 00:21:00,62 a very interesting development and I do want to go back to nineteen forty two 217 00:21:00,75 --> 00:21:05,66 when nice States Congress officially recognized the pledge for the first time the 218 00:21:05,67 --> 00:21:12,02 years important one thousand nine hundred forty two why because this year had not 219 00:21:12,03 --> 00:21:16,98 only to do with the Pledge of Allegiance it had also the do with the salute to the 220 00:21:16,99 --> 00:21:23,53 flag also nine hundred forty two keep in mind it's World War two We're 221 00:21:23,54 --> 00:21:29,41 fighting eight off were fighting the Nazi party which controlled Germany 222 00:21:30,57 --> 00:21:35,50 what was the problem the problem was that the pledge that we gave until one 223 00:21:35,51 --> 00:21:41,37 thousand nine hundred forty two was almost identical to the Pledge of Allegiance 224 00:21:41,41 --> 00:21:46,95 and the you know the flag salute that the Nazis were using we wanted to show that 225 00:21:46,96 --> 00:21:51,86 was the difference between us and the Nazis so what Congress did in one thousand 226 00:21:51,87 --> 00:21:57,14 nine hundred forty two they changed it not from this pledge but from this pledge to 227 00:21:57,15 --> 00:22:02,29 hand over the hot that was changed in one nine hundred forty two so we would not 228 00:22:02,30 --> 00:22:08,95 pledge our to our flag the same way the Nazi party was pledging to their flag and 229 00:22:08,96 --> 00:22:15,07 to eight off history can be very fascinating I find out and for thirty four years 230 00:22:15,08 --> 00:22:15,24 as 231 00:22:15,25 --> 00:22:22,13 a history teacher in the public schools here in Worcester Massachusetts this hand 232 00:22:22,22 --> 00:22:24,29 over the flag gesture as 233 00:22:24,30 --> 00:22:30,11 a salute to the flag. Was put in it's 234 00:22:30,22 --> 00:22:35,66 a different salute to the flag then Bellamy put in Bellamy's salute you know it was 235 00:22:35,67 --> 00:22:39,95 like this but in one thousand nine hundred two it was the handing over the flag. 236 00:22:40,77 --> 00:22:45,93 Remove all of the Bellamy salute he is the one who wrote the Pledge occurred on 237 00:22:45,94 --> 00:22:50,87 December twenty second one thousand nine hundred forty two when Congress amended 238 00:22:50,88 --> 00:22:57,25 the flag code language first passed into law in June twenty second one thousand 239 00:22:57,26 --> 00:23:04,26 nine hundred forty two so we're talking not only about the changes in the Pledge of 240 00:23:04,27 --> 00:23:10,50 Allegiance we're also talking about the change in the pledge to the flag in one 241 00:23:10,51 --> 00:23:14,17 nine hundred forty the Supreme Court in 242 00:23:14,18 --> 00:23:21,03 a case called mine is vill school district versus go protests ruled that students 243 00:23:21,03 --> 00:23:26,56 in public schools in one nine hundred forty including respondents in that case 244 00:23:26,86 --> 00:23:33,47 Jehovah Witnesses who considered the flag salute to be idolatry Jehovah Witnesses 245 00:23:33,61 --> 00:23:38,53 can not say the pledge it's against their religious beliefs they believe it's 246 00:23:38,54 --> 00:23:43,46 a salute to idolatry they believe in God They don't see the flag has been the same 247 00:23:43,47 --> 00:23:50,43 thing they maintained they should not be compelled to say the pledge now what 248 00:23:50,44 --> 00:23:55,82 happened a case went before the U.S. Supreme Court the U.S. 249 00:23:55,83 --> 00:24:02,35 Supreme Court ruled at that time that they had to say the 250 00:24:02,36 --> 00:24:05,17 pledge Well I should say that what happened in 251 00:24:05,38 --> 00:24:11,70 a case in one nine hundred forty after that case there was mob violence 252 00:24:12,23 --> 00:24:17,98 and intimidation against Jehovah Witnesses following the ruling in one thousand 253 00:24:17,99 --> 00:24:21,55 nine hundred forty three when the Supreme Court made 254 00:24:21,56 --> 00:24:25,80 a ruling in one thousand nine hundred only three years later in one thousand nine 255 00:24:25,81 --> 00:24:31,76 hundred forty three the Supreme Court changed their rulings why and you might say 256 00:24:31,77 --> 00:24:36,72 what's the big deal over the Pledge of Allegiance. Until you realize that you hold 257 00:24:36,73 --> 00:24:42,61 the witnesses who couldn't say the pledge because of their beliefs that they were 258 00:24:43,33 --> 00:24:49,90 subject to mob violence intimidation Supreme Court realize who we made 259 00:24:49,91 --> 00:24:54,85 a mistake in one nine hundred forty three they did something they almost never take 260 00:24:55,08 --> 00:24:55,54 they took 261 00:24:55,55 --> 00:25:00,77 a similar case because they needed something to change their earlier ruling they 262 00:25:00,78 --> 00:25:03,10 reversed its decision in 263 00:25:03,11 --> 00:25:09,07 a ruling called West Virginia State Board of Education versus Barnett one thousand 264 00:25:09,08 --> 00:25:15,46 nine hundred forty three World War two right West Virginia Board of Education 265 00:25:15,53 --> 00:25:21,96 Barnett that public school students were not required to say the pledge in one nine 266 00:25:21,97 --> 00:25:26,42 hundred forty they said they were required to say the pledge then they were 267 00:25:26,43 --> 00:25:31,03 attacked they were discriminated against Supreme Court changed its mind one nine 268 00:25:31,04 --> 00:25:35,67 hundred forty three and said they did not have to say the pledge they concluded 269 00:25:36,16 --> 00:25:41,73 quote that quote compulsory unification of opinion and 270 00:25:41,74 --> 00:25:45,86 a quote violates the First Amendment in 271 00:25:45,87 --> 00:25:51,27 a later opinion the court held that students also are not required to stand for the 272 00:25:51,28 --> 00:25:57,49 pledge that is their constitutional right in decision by the US Supreme Court in 273 00:25:57,50 --> 00:26:02,46 one thousand nine hundred forty three no student has to stand to say the pledge 274 00:26:02,72 --> 00:26:08,05 they can quietly stay at their seats if they wish that is their constitutional 275 00:26:08,06 --> 00:26:13,56 right I didn't decide that you didn't decide that the US Supreme Court decided that 276 00:26:13,56 --> 00:26:16,59 . Now one objection states that 277 00:26:16,60 --> 00:26:22,77 a democratic republic based on freedom of dissent should not required citizens to 278 00:26:22,78 --> 00:26:28,45 pledge allegiance to it in the words we believe in freedom of speech what does that 279 00:26:28,46 --> 00:26:34,51 mean you are free to say what you want to say and you're also free not to speak if 280 00:26:34,52 --> 00:26:39,25 you don't want to and so what the Supreme Court was saying in one nine hundred 281 00:26:39,26 --> 00:26:45,25 forty three you cannot be forced to say the pledge because you cannot be forced to 282 00:26:45,26 --> 00:26:50,66 speak when you do not wish to do so should not require its citizens to pledge 283 00:26:50,67 --> 00:26:56,00 allegiance to it in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution Bill of 284 00:26:56,01 --> 00:27:02,45 Rights First Amendment US Constitution protects one's rights to 285 00:27:02,46 --> 00:27:05,38 refrain from speaking or standing U.S. 286 00:27:05,39 --> 00:27:11,24 Supreme Court you don't have to speak you do not have to stand because standing is 287 00:27:11,25 --> 00:27:17,81 a form of speech Supreme Court rules you don't have to stand you don't have to 288 00:27:17,82 --> 00:27:19,67 say the pledge that's the U.S. 289 00:27:19,68 --> 00:27:25,39 Supreme Court the United States another objection lies in the fact that the people 290 00:27:25,90 --> 00:27:32,22 are most likely to reciting the Pledge every day small children in school 291 00:27:32,27 --> 00:27:39,06 five six seven years old cannot really give their consent or even completely 292 00:27:39,07 --> 00:27:41,99 understand the pledge they are taking what does 293 00:27:41,100 --> 00:27:47,16 a student in grade one understand when they say the pledge of allegiance to them is 294 00:27:47,17 --> 00:27:52,56 just words they're too young to understand the meaning of it many objections have 295 00:27:52,57 --> 00:27:58,07 been re-use since the addition of the phrase quote under God and 296 00:27:58,08 --> 00:28:03,99 a quote to the pledge in one thousand nine hundred fifty four Why why do people 297 00:28:04,03 --> 00:28:11,00 object to the words under God After all you want to say the Pledge. You don't have 298 00:28:11,01 --> 00:28:17,52 to stand you can say the pledge right just don't say the words under God so what's 299 00:28:17,53 --> 00:28:23,27 the big deal here what's the big deal well let's get into that now as we approach 300 00:28:23,69 --> 00:28:29,08 and don't forget the last case on this this year two thousand and thirteen Supreme 301 00:28:29,12 --> 00:28:32,89 Judicial Court of Massachusetts I'm getting there one step at 302 00:28:32,90 --> 00:28:39,17 a time OK many objections have been raised since the addition of the phrase under 303 00:28:39,18 --> 00:28:43,50 God to the pledge in one nine hundred fifty four Chris contend that 304 00:28:43,51 --> 00:28:49,34 a government requiring or promoting the phrase violates protection on the 305 00:28:49,35 --> 00:28:55,13 establishment of religion guaranteed in the Establishment Clause of the First 306 00:28:55,17 --> 00:29:01,67 Amendment there saying the pledge violates the First Amendment of the 307 00:29:01,68 --> 00:29:07,61 US to the US Constitution. We're coming to the end. 308 00:29:08,70 --> 00:29:10,62 The show has shown I believe seven times 309 00:29:10,63 --> 00:29:16,87 a week for the shoulder be shown seven times next week I'm going to do the pledge 310 00:29:16,96 --> 00:29:23,81 of allegiance under God to please be sure to watch. The mission next 311 00:29:23,82 --> 00:29:30,36 week pullbacks the week before spending two weeks on the Pledge of Allegiance 312 00:29:30,79 --> 00:29:35,11 make a speech with the highest pyramid two to steps.